Iker Pajares Bernabeu ‘Hungry For More’ After Breakout Season

_As we look ahead to another season, the PSA’s Matt Coles has been talking to the stars of the PSA World Tour about their 2019-20 campaigns. Here he catches up with Spaniard Iker Pajares Bernabeu._
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One from the crop of young Spanish players, Iker Pajares Bernabeu is a rising talent on the PSA World Tour, having broke into the World’s top 50.

After a breakthrough 2018-2019 campaign, Pajares is aiming to keep pushing ahead going into the 2019-2020 season.

“It feels amazing and I am so hungry for more! We worked very hard with my coaches to be here and now it’s time to consolidate my ranking and improve my squash,” Pajares said.

The Spaniard has set himself a goal for the end of the new term, but he admits that he does not talk about it too much, saying that the results will take him there.

“I’d like to make the top 40 at the end of the year but we don’t like to talk about goals. The results will come if I keep believing and working hard,” he explained.

“I am very happy with Barcelona Global Squash method and thanks to them I am achieving my dreams.”

Looking back on last year’s campaign, and the now-World No.41 suffered a little at the start because of the new structure to the PSA World Tour.

“It’s been a different season due to the new changes on the PSA World Tour. I was very close to make the top 50 at the end of 2018 but I was unlucky with my ranking and I didn’t get in the big tournaments,” the Spaniard said.

“I had to fight very hard and play my best in every single tournament to get the results. We all are very close and that means we need to play our 100% during all the season. The ranking, it’s just a number.”

After the issues at the start of the campaign, Pajares came into his own in the final few months, including winning his ninth PSA World Tour title.

He also helped his country to a best ever finish at the European Team Championships, but his favourite performance of the year came in London.

“My best performance was at the Wimbledon Open where I reached the final of a 50K for the first time. I beat Omar Mosaad, Daryl Selby and James Willstrop in the same tournament,” the World No.41 said.

“The week before I made history with Spain, reaching the final of the European Team Championship and the week after I won my 9th PSA title in Tel Aviv. I’d say May 2019 was a month to remember! “

The Spaniard will begin the new season in Shanghai, at the J.P. Morgan China Open, which takes place between 4-8 September.

Keep a look out for the first player’s preview ahead the 2019-20 season in the coming days, as Dutch No.1 Milou van der Heijden previews her campaign.